Printing mechanism for calculating machines



Jan. 4, 1955 N. G. HOLDEN 2,698,714

PRINTING MECHANISM FOR CALCULATING MACHINES Filed Dec. 16, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor w/r/vA/wfofmn/fowm Jan. 4, 1955 N. e. HOLDEN PRINTING MECHANISM FOR CALCULATING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 16, 1953 Jan. 4, 1955 N. G. HOLDEN 2,598,714

PRINTING MECHANISM FOR CALCULATING MACHINES Filed Dec. 16, 1951'? 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 lnuenlaz- Jan. 4, 1955 N. G. HOLDEN PRINTING MECHANISM FOR CALCULATING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 16, 1955 United States Patent PRINTING MECHANISM :FOR 'CALCULATING MACHINES Norman ".Geolfrey Holden, Carshalton, England, assignor to Powers-Samas Accounting .Macllines Limited, Lon- .don, England, a British company Application December 16, 1953, Serial No. "398,391

Claims priority, application Great Britain December 24,, "195 2 7 Claims. (Cl. firs-60.31)

This invention relates to printing mechanism for-calculating machines arranged to :handle :amounts expressed partly in a non-decimal notation, for example pounds avoirdupois.

In particular the invention relates "to printing mechanism for a record controlled calculating machine of "the kind in which type-carrying elements are movable to printing position under control of toothed denominational digit-receiving elements arranged to be arrested by Steps set under control of a record and in which an amount is transferred to register wheels by zeroising the digit-- receiving elements when in engagement with their respec tive registering wheels and is read 05 the wheels by bringing the wheels into engagement with digit-recej 'n" elements when the latter are at zero and ze'roisin'g the registering wheels. Printing mechanism of this kindwill be referred to below as printing mechanism of the kind described.

In handling notations in which there are more than twelve units in a denomination there are various in'con veniences in employing special registering wheels for such denominations. It is, of course, theoretically possible to fit a special pounds avoirdupois wheel with twenty-eight positions, but such wheels, being relatively largein size, in many instances cannot be used in practice. Furthermore, in printing calculating machines there are often fitted a plurality of registers which may be arranged for grand total and subtraction, and any alteration to the register wheels involves a constructional change to all these units.

Accordingly, it is customary to divide such denominations in two denominations in order to use register wheels with not more than ten or twelve teeth, for example, the pounds avoirdupois denomination is divided into two denominations of which the lower may contain seven units and the. higher four units. With such arrange ments, however, the printed record obtained is such that a. mental conversion is necessary in order to obtain a correct reading of the recorded amount. 7 g

In prior United Kingdom patent specification No. 528,106 there is described a printing mechanism of the kind described which when set from an accumulator or other setting means in which an amount is expressed, in one notation will convert said amount into a ditferent notation and print it in that dii'ferent'notation.

It is a main object of the present invention to provide an improved form of printing mechanism of the kind described whereby a single type-carrying element can be employed to print a record of an amount expressed in a non-decimal notation for which there are more than twelve units in a denomination either during the entry of items into the registering wheels or during the reading-otf of a total from the wheels.

According to the present invention there is provided printing mechanism of the kind described for dealingwith amounts expressed partly in a non-decimal notation for which there are more than twelve units in a denomina tion, comprising for a denomination expressed in said non-decimal notation a first digit-receiving element to re: ceive units amounts each of which is a predetermined multiple of a unit digit expressed in said non-decimal nota-tion, a second digitreceiving element to receive unit digits up to said predetermined multiple,- a type-carrying element to print an amount the ofthe amounts res ceixed by the first and: second digit reeeiving elements;-

2,698,714 Patented Jan. 4, 1955 'secon'd denominational ='di'git-'receiving element o an 'extent such as to bring-toprintingposition thetype"'el'eine'n't thereon representative 'ofsaid one unit amount, theft'ypecarrying element being also movable with the second digitr'e'ceiving element tobringt'o printing position aty'pe element representative of J a unit digit of 'value le's's "than the unit amount whe'n'n'o "relative movement is effected between the type-carrying element and second digitreceiving element "to bring to printing positionfthe t- 'p'e element representative o'fsaid one iiiiit amount and to bring to printing position the type element representative of the sum of the unit amount and the amount received by the second digit-receiving element when relative ihbve ment is efiected between the type-carrying element and second digit-receiving element to bring to printing position the typeelement representative of the unitamountfia latch to locate the type-carrying element in the position of normal operative relationship with the second 'digit receiving element, a first trip rn'efr'nber operable under control of a stop for the first digit-receiving element to trip said latch and permit said relative movement of the type-earrying element during item printing operations, and a second trip member operable by the first digit receiv'ing element to trip said latch and permit said relative movement during a total printing operation.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood one embodiment thereof will now he described, by way of example, with're-ference to the accompanying diagramma tic drawings, in which;

Fig. l is a crossaectional elevation of the adding mechanism of a record card controlled tabulating machine fr handling pounds avoirdupois and fitted with printing mechanism according 'to the invention,

Figs. 2A and 2B together form an exploded pictorial view'of printing mechanism according to the invention,

Fig. 3 is a pictorial view of control mechanism aperable during a total-taking and printing operation,

Fig. 4 is an elevation of a first digit-receiving element,

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a second digit-receiving element and the type-carrying element which (to-operates there with, and

Fig. 6 is a top plan of Fig. 5. The general arrangement of the machine illustiated in the drawings is the same as that of the machine described in United Kingdom patent specification No. 526,762 but the front accumulator or register wheels 1 are employed as sub-total wheels instead of as grand total wheels as described in the said prior specification.

The controlfmechanism for the register Wheels is similai to that described in the aforesaid specification but its timing is altered so that the wheels 1 engage with the first digit-receiving element 2 and the second digib'reciv ing element 3 after the latter, and the other digit-receiving elements, not shown, of the unit, have been set from the stops of a stop basket 4, Fig. 1, in the manner described in United Kingdom patent specification No. 426,054. As can be seen from the drawings, the digit-receiving siements' comprise toothed sectors the teeth of which as operate with the register, wheels;

The stop basket 4, Fig.- 1. has two rows f stops to represent pounds avoirdupois, there being a single stop 5, Fig.- 2B, to fi o-operate with element 2 and thirteen stops 6, Figs. I and 2A, to co-operate with element 3. The stop 5 is representative of a unit amount which is a redeter, mined multiple of a unit digit expressed in terms of pounds avoirdupois', the unit amount being fourteen pound's' avoirdup'oh. The stops 6 are, as shown in Figs". 1 and 2A, representative of unit digits up to and inclu'd ingthirteen. Each row of stops has a nought or zero stop 7. Fig. 1 only the stops 6 can be seen, the step 5 being in the row behind.

As is customary, pounds avoirdupo'is' are recorded in two vertical columns of a' record card but for use with apparatus according to the present invntidn the range of twentyseven pounds is Obtained by the use" of only one control: position which can be either of the positions 8; Fig. 2A, each of which is representative of fourteen ounds. From Fig. 2A it will be seen and understood that 1 mums or one to tenpounds are recorded by holes" 9 in 3 and thirteen pounds are recorded by similar holes in the next adjacent card column. Thus the sensing of any hole 9, without the sensing of a hole 8, represents an amount according to the position of the hole in the column but the simultaneous sensing of a hole 8 with a hole 9 is representative of an amount which is the sum of fourteen and the digit represented by the hole 9.

The portion, not shown, of the accumulator dealing with tons and quarters has one toothed register wheel for each ton denomination, two toothed wheels for the hundred-weights denomination and one for the quarters. Since tons are expressed in the decimal notation each wheel of this part of the accumulator has ten teeth and transfer occurs from a lower denomination wheel to the next higher denominational wheel when the lower passes from nine to nought. One of the hundred-weights wheels has ten teeth representative of units of hundred-weights and one carry cam and the other has ten teeth representative of tens-of-hundred-weights and five carry cams to effect carries to the units denominational wheel for tons. The quarters wheel has twelve teeth and three carry cams and a transfer passes therefrom to the units denominational wheel for hundred-weights when each stage of the quarters wheel passes from three to nought The register wheel 1 for the first dlgrt-recervmg element 2 has ten teeth and five carry or transfer cams 10, Fig. 2B, and a carry from this wheel to the quarters register wheel, not shown, is effected each time thewheel passes from one to nought. On the other hand the wheel 1 for the second digit-receiving element 3 has fourteen teeth and one carry or transfer cam 11 and a carry from this wheel to the register wheel co-operating with element 2 is effected each time it passes from thirteen to nought. Although pounds avoirdupois are received on the two elements 2, 3 only one type-carrying element 12, comprising a type sector, is provided, Figs. 1, 2A and 5, and this co-operates with element 3 and carries twenty-eight type elements bearing characters as shown in Fig. 5.

The digit-receiving elements, 2, 3 and the type-carrying element 12 are pivoted freely on a shaft 14 for swinging movement about the axis thereof. Although the element 2 has no type-carrying element co-operating therewith it has a shortened sector forming a dummy element 15 which is provided for the purpose of restoring the element 2 to the zero position thereof. The elements 12, 15 are urged clockwise, as viewed in Figs. 2A and 2B, by springs 16, 17 respectively and each is connected to its element 2, 3 by a spring 18 which tends to urge the members 12, 15 clockwise with respect to the elements 2, 3.

The normal positions of the digit-receiving elements 2, 3 and the elements 12, 15 is the Zero position thereof as illustrated in Fig. 2, in which position the elements 2, 3 are located against the zero stops 7 of the stop basket, the stops 7 being engaged by heel members 19 carried by the elements 2, 3. The elements 12, 15, and typecarrying elements co-operating with digit-receiving element for denominations other than that shown in the drawings, are retained in the zero positions thereof by restoring means to be described below.

The type-carrying element 12 is movable about shaft 14 relative to the digit-receiving element 3 such movement being permitted by a slot 20 in element 12 into which projectsa pin 21 carried by the element When the type-carrying element 12 is in its zero position the type element representative of nought is one type pitch below the printing position as indicated in Fig. 2A where the platen 22 is diagrammatically illustrated. In thls posltron of element 12 the pin 21 is spaced by a short distance from the forward end of slot 20, see Fig. 5, and a latch 23 engages a tooth 24 on element 12 and locates the type sector 12 in its position of normal operative relationship with the toothed sector 3. As will be seen from Figs. 2A and 5, when the elements are in the zero positions thereof a gap 25 is formed between the latch 23 and tooth 24 this gap providing the necessary carry or transfer-slot corresponding to the slot 65 described in the aforesaid prior specification No. 528,106.

The toothed sectors and type sectors, not shown, for denominations other than that of pounds avoirdupors, together with the toothed sector 2 and dummy sector 15 are restored to the zero positions thereof by a restoring bar 26, Figs. 1, 2A and 28, supported by restoring arms 27,

Fig. 2; swingable about shaft 14 by a link 28 operated in known manner by a cam not shown. The bar 26 18 con-- tained in a sleeve 29 concentric therewith, the sleeve, beingr they co-operate.

provided with slots 30 which permit the required engagement between the bar 26 and the sectors to be directly restored thereby.

The type sector 12, as stated above, carries twenty-eight type elements and accordingly must be capable of movement in an are approximately twice as great as that of any of the other type sectors employed in the apparatus. To ensure restoration of the type-sector 12 an auxiliary restoring member 31 is carried by the sleeve 29 and supports a roller 32 for co-operation with a cam shaped edge 33 of the type sector. The sleeve 29 is movable angularly relative to the restoring bar 26 by an arm 34 fixed to the sleeve and pivoted to a link 35 swingably supported by a pin 36 secured to one of the plates 37 to which the shaft 14 is secured, the axis of pin 36 being eccentric to that of shaft 14.

When the restoring arms 27 move forward, that is clockwise as viewed in Figs. 2A and 2B, the arm 34 moves in a counter-clockwise direction in relation to bar 26 due to the axis of pin 36 being eccentric to the axis of shaft 14. This movement of arm 34 causes roller 32 to be moved away from the edge portion 33 so that the type seetor 12 is free to move forward to any printing position. During the restoring action the arm 34 is moved in the reverse direction thus causing roller 32 to restore the sector 12 while the bar 26 is restoring all other type sectors and the dummy sector 15.

It will be understood that the restoring arms 27 are not moved forward until after the stops of the stop basket 4 have been set under control of a record card and that, as is customary, the setting up of any stop in a row of the stop basket effects retraction of the zero stop 7 for that row. On forward movement of the arms 27 the type sector 12 will follow the restoring bar 26 until tooth 24 is engaged by the latch 23, and, as is customary the other type sectors, together with the dummy sector 15, will move forward until the rear ends of slots 37 therein engage pins 38 carried by the toothed sectors with which Should the zero stops not have been retracted no further forward movement of the type sectors will be effected but if the zero stops are retracted the type sectors will continue to move forward together with their toothed sectors until the heels 19 of the latter are arrested by the set-up stop of the row appropriate thereto.

In the case of the type sector 12 if the amount in pounds avoirdupois sensed from the card is from one to thirteen pounds the type sector will move forward with the toothed sector 3 until the latter is arrested by the set-up stop 6 when the appropriate type element will be positioned thereby in printing relating with the platen 22. If, however, the amount sensed is from fourteen to twenty-seven pounds the stop 5 representative of fourteen pounds will be set up. The stop 5 has integral therewith a first trip member 39, Fig. 2B,-which when stop 5 is raised engages the tail of latch 23- thus rotating the latch counterclockwise, as viewed in Fig. 2A, against spring 40. Accordingly, when the type sector 12 moves forward its tooth 24 is not engaged by the latch and the type sector moves forward until the rear end of slot 20 therein engages pin 21 on the toothed sector 3. Thus the type element representative of fourteen is moved to printing relation with platen 22 and if the zero stop 7 for toothed sector 3 is not lowered the amount fourteen is printed.

If, however, the zero stop 7 for toothed sector 3 is lowered then the type sector 12 moves forward together with the sector 3 until the latter is arrested by a set-up stop 6 and the type element which is thus moved to printing position is that which is representative of the sum of fourteen and the amount represented by the set-up stop 6.

The operation as just described is that which occurs during the printing and registering of items sensed from record cards. On a total-taking operation, however, it is necessary to delay the forward movement of type sector' .one-tooth space, thus indicating that a unit amount of fourteen pounds is read 05 the registering wheel co-op-' crating therewith, such'movement takes places simultaneously with the movement of toothed sector 3. The cam face 41, which normally is located close to the pin 42 then engages the pin and trips the latch 23 to permit the type sector 12 to move, as described above, to the position at which the rear of slot 20 engages pin 21. To ensure that the latch 23 is tripped fully and in time the forward movement of the type sector 12 is temporarily delayed by mechanism about to be described.

Delaying of the movement of the type sector 12 is effected by a delay latch 43 arranged to co-operate with a pin 44 extending laterally from the sector 12 but normally disengaged therefrom. The delay latch 43 is freely pivoted on the spindle 45, on which are also pivoted the printing hammers 46, and occupies the position which would be occupied by a hammer for the dummy sector 15 but that no hammer is required for this sector.

The actuating means for the delay latch comprises a linkage operable by a continuously rotatable cam 47, Fig. 3, the cam being rotated once for each revolution of the main shaft, not shown. The linkage comprises links 48 and 49 connected by bell-cranks 50, 51 of which the bellcrank 51 is rocked by a vertical link 52 supported for lengthwise sliding movement under control of a rocking arm 53 secured to a spindle 54 to which is also secured an arm 55 carrying a cam follower 56 to co-operate with the cam 47. The follower 56 is urged towards cam 47 by a spring 57. Normally the delay latch is retained disengaged from pin 44 by 'a rocking latch 58 which is engaged with a pin 59 extending laterally from arm 53, the latch 58 also serving to retain the follower 56 out of engagement with cam 47.

The rocking latch 58 is secured to a rocking spindle 60 to which is also secured an arm 61 urged by a spring 62 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3. During a total-taking cycle of the machine a vertically reciprocable member 63, shown in Fig. 3 as the usual total link employed in atabulating machine, is moved downwards and a pin 64 carried thereby depresses arm 61 to move it, and the rocking latch 58, in. a counter-clockwise direction. This movement of latch 58 disengages the latch from pin 59 so that spring 57 urges follower 56 into engagement with cam 47. This is timed to occur just before the dwell 65 on the cam reaches the follower 56. The follower thus moves into dwell 65 thereby rocking spindle 54 in a counterclockwise direction and, through arm 53 and links 52 and 48, engaging delay latch 43 with pin 44 on type sector 12. As the follower is again moved on to the high part of cam 47 the spindle 54 is rocked in a clockwise direction and effects disengagement of delay latch 43 from pin-44. Thus by cam '47 the movement of the type-carrying element 12 to printing position is delayed for a predetermined interval. The arm 53 is thus restored to a position at which pin 59 can be engaged by rocking latch 58 and on the return or upward movement of member 63 the rocking latch, under action of spring 62, is restored to latchingengagement with pin 59.

The means for effecting a transfer or carry, being of known form, comprise no part of; the present invention butmay be of the kind described in the aforementioned specification No. 528,106.

The mechanism for controlling the engagement of the register wheels 1 with thetoothed sectors and their disengagement therefrom is substantially thesame as that described in the above mentioned prior specification No. 526,762 and includes a control plate 66, Fig. 1, actuated by pins 67, 68 carried by a disc 69 on a rocking shaft 70. The control plate '66 and the shaft 70 are the same as the members 54 and 118, described in specification No. 526,762. The timing is such, however, that the register wheels engage with theto'othed sectors after the latter have been set from the stops at each adding cycle.

The print hammer mechanism is likewise similar to that described in specification No. 526,762 except for a modification in'respect of'the'means for actuating the hammer for the type-carrying element 12. Each of the hammers 46-isheld down by a latch 71 and a bail 72, Fig. 1. As a shaft 73 roc'ks counter-clockwise a link 74, connected at one end to a link 75 and at the other end to an arm 76 secured to the shaft 45 carrying the'bail 72, rocks the bail clockwise. If any 'type sector has not left its zero position the corresponding latch 71 remains in its normal position and the hammer 46 is not allowed to operate. When a type sector, other than the sector 12 leaves the normal position, however, a cam face, not shown, thereon rocks the lever 78, pivoted at 79, whereby a latch releasing member 80 is lifted into the path of the bail 72 which pushes the member 80 to the left in Fig. 1 thereby rocking the latch 71 counter-clockwise clear of the hammer 43. A spring 81 thereupon swings the hammer smartly clockwise into contact with the type element.

In the case of the hammer 46 to co-operate with the type sector 12 the lever 78 therefor is operated by a cam-piece 82, Figs. 5 and 6, secured to the type sector 12 and spaced therefrom by spacers 183 to lie in the same plane as the dummy sector 15.

At total-taking the setting of the type carrying elements to print the total amount on the register wheels 1 takes place in a manner similar to that described above except that at this time the toothed sectors are set from the register wheels instead of from the stops. In order to release the toothed sectors at total-taking the nought or Zero stops 7 are withdrawn by means of the bail 83, Fig. 1, secured to the back total-shaft 84, which bail rocks the bell-cranks S5 co-operating with the different rows of stops thereby withdrawing the zero stops in the manner described in specification No. 526,762. The back total-shaft 84 is the same as the shaft 127 described in specification No. 526,762 and is operated in a similar manner.

As an example of the mode of operation of the mechanism according to the invention let it be assumed that, with the register wheels at zero, the item amounts 7 lbs, 14 lbs., and 23 lbs. are to be sensed from cards, registered on wheels 1 and recorded by type elements 13, followed by a total-taking operation in which the amount 1 quarter 16 pounds, the sum of the item amounts, is read-off from the register wheels and recorded by the type elements.

On sensing of the first card the stop 6 representative of seven pounds will be raised. On forward movement of the restoring arms 27 the type sector 12 will move forward until the tooth 24 engages latch 23 thus closing space 25. Thereafter the sector 12 will also move the toothed sector 3 until the heel 19 thereon engages the raised stop 6 thus bringing the type element representative of seven to printing position in relation to platen 22. The hammer is fired and printing is effected.

The register wheel is now moved into mesh with the toothed sector 3 and the sector is restored by bar 26 and auxiliary restoring member 32, as above described, thus winding value seven on to the register wheel. The register wheel is then disengaged from sector 3 and held by an aligner bar, now shown.

On sensing of the next card the stop 5 is raised, representative of fourteen pounds. Raising of stop 5, through the first trip member 39, trips latch 23 and permits sector 12 to move so that the rear end of slot 20 is engaged by pin 21 thus bringing to printing position the type element representative of fourteen. The sector 2 is also permitted to move forward one tooth pitch. Sector 3, however, does not move forward but the hammer is fired by cam piece 82 and so the amount 14 is printed. The amount 1 is rolled on to the register wheel c0- operating with sector 2 so that this wheel now registers the unit amount fourteen pounds and the wheel cooperating with sector 3 registers seven pounds, a totalof twenty-one pounds.

On sensing of the third card the stop 5 is again raised and the stop 6 representative of nine is also raised. Accordingly latch 23 is tripped by member 39 and the type sector 12 moves forward until the 'rear end of slot 20 engages pin 21. The sector 3 then moves forward with sector 12 untilarrested by the raised stop representative of 9 when the type element 23 on sector 12 will be in printing position and will effect printing on firing of its hammer by cam-piece 82. The amount 1 is rolled on to the register wheel co-operating withthe sector 2 and the amount 9 .is rolled on to the wheel co-operating with sector 3. The addition to the wheel cooperating with sector 2 entails a carry to the quarters wheel, not shown, through carry cam 10, and the addition of the 9 to the 7 already on the wheel co-operating with sector 3 entails a carry, through cam 11, to the wheel cooperating with sector 2. Accordingly, the register wheels now register the amount 1 quarter 16 pounds of which the unit amount 14 is registered on the wheel -cooperating with sector 2 andthe amount 72 is registered on the wheel co-operating with sector 3.

On initiation of the total-taking operation the register wheels are moved into engagement with the toothed sectors during the space cycle which precedes the total cycle. Downward movement of member 63, Fig. 3, operates delay latch 43 so that it engages pin 44 on type sector 12 to delay movement thereof. Then on operation of restoring arms 27 the sectors move forward, sector 12 being delayed by the predetermined interval, under control of the registering wheels. As the wheel co-operating with sector 2 moves the sector one tooth pitch the cam face 41 and pin 42 rock latch 23 so that sector 12 moves forward to the position at which the rear end of slot engages pin 21 and the sector 12 and toothed sector 3 moves forward two further tooth pitch distances under control of the wheel engaged with sector 3. Thus on firing of the hammers the total amount 1 quarter 16 pounds is printed.

We claim:

1. Printing mechanism of the kind described for dealing with amounts expressed partly in a non-decimal notation for which there are more than twelve units in a denomination, comprising for a denomination expressed in said non-decimal notation a first digit-receiving element to receive unit amounts each of which is a predetermined multiple of a unit digit expressed in said non-decimal notation, a second digit-receiving element to receive unit digits up to said predetermined multiple, a type-carrying element to print an amount the sum of the amounts received by the first and second digit-receiving elements, said typecarrying element being movable relative to said second denominational digit-receiving element to an extent such as to printing position the type element thereon representative of said one unit amount, the type-carrying element being also movable with the second digit-receiving element to bring to printing position a type element representative of a unit digit of value less than the unit amount when no relative movement is effected between the type-carrying element and second digit-receiving element to bring to printing position the type element representative of said one unit amount and to bring to printing position the type element representative of the sum of the unit amount and the amount received by the second digit-receiving element when relative movement is effected between the type-carrying element and second digit-receiving element to bring to printing position the type element representative of the unit amount, a latch to locate the type-carrying element in the position of normal operative relationship with the second digitreceiving element, a first trip member operable under control of a stop for the first digit-receiving element to trip said latch and permit said relative movement of the type-carrying element during item printing operations, and a second ,trip member operable by the first digit-re ceiving element to trip said latch and permit said relative movement during a total printing operation.

2. Printing mechanism according to claim 1, including a delay latch normally disengaged from the type-carrying element, and latch actuating means operable prior to a total printing operation first to engage the delay latch with the type-carrying element thereby to prevent movement of the type-carrying element to printing position and then to release the delay latch from said engagement so that movement of the type-carrying element to printing position is delayed for a predetermined interval.

3. Printing mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the latch actuating means comprises a pivot for the delay latch, a linkage connected to the delay latch to effect rocking thereof about said pivot, a continuously rotatable cam, a cam follower to co-operate with said cam and connected with said linkage to effect operation thereof, a rocking latch co-operating with said linkage and acting normally to retain said cam follower in a position at which it is disengaged from the type-carrying element, and a reciprocating member operable during the outward movement thereof to initiate a total printing operation and to disengage the rocking latch from said linkage and during its return movement permitting re-engagement of the rocking latch with the linkage.

4. Printing mechanism of the kind described for dealing with amounts expressed partly in a non-decimal notation for which there are more than twelve units in a denomination, comprising for a denomination expressed in said non-decimal notation a first digit-receiving element to receive unit amounts each of which is a predetermined multiple of a unit digit expressed in said non-demical notaoperate with said one predetermined type-carrying ele ment to effect restoration thereof to its zero position, said one predetermined type-carrying element being movable relative to said second denominational digit-receiving element to an extent such as to bring to printing position the type element thereon representative of said one unit amount, the said one type-carrying element being also movable with the second digit-receiving element to bring to printing position a type element representative of a unit digit of value less than the unit amount when no relative movement is effected between the said one type-carrying element and second digit-receiving element to bring to printing position the type element representative of said one unit amount and to bring to printing position the type element representative of the sum of the unit amount and the amount received by the second digit-receiving element when relative movement is effected between the said one type-carrying element and second digit-receiving element to bring to printing position the type element representative of the unit amount, a latch to locate the said one type-carrying element in the position of normal operative relationship with the second digit-receiving element, a first trip member operable under control of a stop for the first digit-receiving element to trip said latch and permit said relative movement of the said one type-carrying element during item printing operations, and a second trip member operable by the first digit-receiving element to trip said latch and permit said relative movement during a total printing operation.

5. Printing mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the auxiliary restoring member is carried by a sleeve concentric with the restoring bar, said sleeve having fixed thereto an arm pivoted to a link swingable about an axis eccentric to the axis about which the restoring bar is swingable whereby the sleeve is movable angularly rela tive to the restoring bar and the auxiliary restoring member co-operates with the said type-carrying element and in combination with the restoring bar effects restoration thereof to its zero position.

6. Printing mechanism according to claim 5, including a delay latch normally disengaged from the said one typecarrying element, and latch actuating means operable prior to a total printing operation first to engage the delay latch with the said one type-carrying element thereby to 7 prevent movement of the said one type-carrying element to printing position and then to release the delay latch from said engagement so that movement of the said one type-carrying element to printing position is delayed for a predetermined interval.

7. Printing mechanism according to claim 6, wherein the latch actuating means comprises a pivot for the delaylatch, a linkage connected to the delay latch to effect rocking thereof about said pivot, a continuously rotatable cam,

a cam follower to co-operation with said cam and con-.

nected with said linkage to effect operation thereof, a rocking latch co-operation with said linkage and acting normally to retain said cam follower in a position at which it is disengaged from the said one type-carrying element, and a reciprocating member operable during the outward movement thereof to initiate a total printing operation and to disengage the rocking latch from said linkage and during its return movement permitting reengagement of the rocking latch with the linkage.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,675,175 Frieberg Apr. 13, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 528,106 Great Britain Oct. 22, 1940 

